


Nothing Else Matters

by VesperLestrange



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, Crime, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-03-29 17:35:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3904942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VesperLestrange/pseuds/VesperLestrange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabella Greene becomes a witness of one of Dr. Spencer Reid's cases</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sinner

I took a deep breath; I stared at the shell of my mother trying to think of what to say.

"Hey mom." I whispered afraid to talk any louder.

"Hello!" She said brightly.

I wasn't sure if she knew who I was.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine sweetie. Are you here to turn in your paper?" She asked with a smile.

I decided to play along. "Well Miss. Lopez I was hoping to come and talk to you before I did. I wasn't sure about how I would end it."

"What is your thesis?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I know my paper is going to be on the way the media is affecting young people today. How it can lead to violence and eating disorders and such." I said brightly as I was slowly dying inside. My mother had no idea who I was. She thought I was one of her students.

"Ah! Yes that is a topic I feel strongly about! The media can be such a horrid thing. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but I believe the media's prevalence of the whole 'thin is in' led to my own daughter’s eating disorder. Yes that is a very good topic." She whispered to me.

I licked my lips. God she was talking about me to me and she didn't even realize it. Why did I have to visit on one of her bad days?

"Thank you Miss. Lopez. I think I know where I will go with my paper."

She looked surprised for a second. Then her face lit up. "I'm so glad you are making progress with such little effort on my part! You are a very bright student!"

"Thank you. I'll see you at our next session?"

"Yes, yes. I'll see you then."

With that I walked away. As soon as my back was turned I let the tears fall. Had I really let my visits go so far apart that my own mother didn't know who I was? I walked out of the San Francisco mental institution with my head held high. I wouldn't let this get to me...I wouldn't.

My apartment seemed emptier than usual. There was nothing but the echo of my own voice to welcome me. In a way I was thankful for that. My whole life I feared my own genetics, I feared one of these days I would begin to hear the same voices that plagued my mother. The voices no one else could hear.  
I laid down in bed burying my head into my pillow to quite my neighbor’s TV blaring through the thin walls. Finally I fell into a light sleep; waking every time my neighbor John laughed at some stupid joke.

A loud noise woke me…Then another…and another. I stared at the clock, 2 A.M.

“Ugh!” I growled throwing my blankets off and slipping on my slippers. I stalked through the apartment throwing open my front door. I banged on my neighbor’s door.

“Natalie will you keep it down?” I yelled through the door.

Breaking glass.

“Natalie?” I yelled pressing my ear to the door.

My heart was pounding as I decided whether I should try opening the door.  
“Natalie…I’m coming in.”

The knob flew from my hands and I was thrown against the wall as a tall man stormed out of my neighbor’s apartment. A scream caught in my throat as I saw his clothes covered in blood…and those eyes.

They were deep blue and crazed. It seemed as if he was staring into my very soul. He stopped for a second and stared at me. I was frozen against the wall. He looked me up and down and ran past. Finally I began to walk into Natalie’s apartment, “Nat?” I whispered.

“Natalie? It’s me Isabella.” I whispered sliding my hand against the wall making my way to the bedroom. The apartment was dark and I slipped on something. I fell flat on my face at the bedroom door. Something warm and sticky clung to my face, the scent of iron and salt flooding my senses.  
I lifted myself up and found the bedroom light switch and screamed at the sight before me.

Natalie was splayed across her bed “SINNER” written along the wall and I was covered in her blood.


	2. Are You Saying I'm Next?

A group of men walked into my little E.R. cubicle. The youngest, around my age spoke up. “Hello Miss. Greene, My name is Dr. Spencer Reid. This is Agent Morgan and Hotchner. We’re with the FBI. If you’re up to it I’d like to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight.” He said as they all flashed their badges.

“O.k.” I whispered licking my lips.

“Would you like something to drink?” One of the older men asked.

“Yes please.”

“What is the first thing you remember?” Another member of the men asked.

“I…uh…There was a noise that woke me up.” I mentioned as I tried to gather my thoughts of what had happened during the night.

“What time was this at?” Someone asked me.

“Umm…like two? There were a few loud noises one after another. I was angry, so I got up to tell her to keep it down. By neighbors are always loud. The walls are really thin in our building. It’s not the first time she woke me up. I thought she was having a party or something. She is always having parties.” I whispered tears slipping down my face. “I knocked a few times yelling for her. She didn’t answer so I went to open the door….When she has parties I know and tell who ever is closest to the door to try to tell everyone to keep it down. She always has so many people in her apartment.”

I took the cup from the older man when he came back in the room and sipped the cool contents slowly.

“What happened next Miss. Greene?”

“The door opened and a man ran out, throwing me against the wall.”

“What do you remember about this man? What was he wearing? Did he say or do anything?”

“He was covered in blood,” I chocked “and his eyes…They were deep blue…crazy looking. It was like he could see everything, but he didn’t see anything….” 

“What did he do next?” Dr. Reid whispered.

“He stared at me. He just….stared at me and then ran off.” I said finally breaking into tears. “I didn’t try to stop him!”

“It is a good thing that you didn’t Miss. Greene.” Dr. Reid said. A long pause followed. 

“And that is when you entered the apartment and found her.” Agent Morgan said quietly.

I nodded, “I’d like to go home now.”

The group of men exchanged glances, “Is there somewhere else you can stay? A boyfriend? A family member?”

I shook my head, “No, I…I guess I can get a hotel room? Why? Why can’t I go home?”

“Miss. Greene we don’t want to alarm you, but we believe this could be the work of a serial killer and you interrupted his ritual. We would just like to make sure you’re safe.”

“Are you saying he’ll come after me next?”


	3. Sleep

“We’re not saying that at all, but it’s only a precaution. Your whole floor is considered a crime scene.” Agent Morgan replied.

“What about my clothes? Everything is at my apartment.” I said grasping at straws. I just wanted to go home.

“Agents Reid and Prentice will escort you to your apartment to gather your things and take you to a hotel, where you will have an escort throughout the night.”

My mind was reeling; how did this all happen? I didn't pick my neighbors. Why did I have to be put out because of my neighbors?

I agreed only because I didn’t know what else to do. Papers were handed to me and signed, but I couldn’t tell you what I had signed. Nothing seemed to register as I was driven home and then to a hotel in the giant black SUV.

“Huh?” I asked when I noticed Agent Reid had been asking me a question.

“Any particular hotel?” He asked, I had to hang onto every word so I wouldn’t fall back into myself.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t stay at hotels. I’ve always hated them…” I trailed off.

The two agents took care of everything at the hotel; I merely stood there, a silent statue.

Agent Prentice set my bags on the floor next to the bed, “Here are our cards if you need anything, or if you remember anything about what happened. Don’t hesitate to call. There will be an officer watching over you all day.”

“Thank you.” I mumbled sitting at the edge of the bed. I was exhausted, I just wanted to sleep, it was well past 1 P.M. now. It had been hours since I had last slept.

“Here’s your key, remember to call for anything.” Dr. Reid whispered setting my key on the bedside table.

“Thank you.” I mumbled again and with that they closed the door firmly behind them and I was left alone.

I fell the rest of the way back on the bed and closed my eyes, letting sleep fall over me.

Once again I was in the hallway of my apartment building. Those eyes were back, they glowed in the darkness. They were watching my every move. He was coming after me next. I tried to run, but he caught up with me. He towered over me and slowly his hand closed around my throat, a ring digging into my flesh.

I gasped and awoke with a start. I fumbled for the first card on the table.

“Spencer Reid.”

“Dr. Reid? It’s Isabella Greene.” I whispered in the darkness of the hotel room.

“Miss. Greene, how can I help you?” He said worry thick in his voice.

“He was wearing a ring. The killer was wearing a ring”


	4. Kruzbergs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabella tries to get away just for a little bit.

I sat in a cubicle at the local police department with Dr. Reid and who I was introduced to as Agent Rossi waiting for the sketch artist.

“Do…do you think I could have a piece of paper? I could sketch it while we wait?” I said nervously. I needed something to do with my hands as I continually wrung my hands and twisted my necklace.

“Of course.” Agent Rossi said standing and retrieving a pad of paper and pencil from inside the desk we occupied. “Here you are. Do you need anything else, a glass of water? Coffee?”

“Coffee would be wonderful, thank you.” I said taking the pencil in hand and focused my attention to the paper in front of me. I began to sketch the intricate Celtic knot work that was engraved in my brain. I was so focused that I didn’t even notice the cup of coffee that was placed in front of me. My breath became labored as the memories flooded into me and I began to draw Natalie’s attacker. I started with the eyes and I just kept going. I was exhausted when I finally stopped. The coffee in front of me was cold and an unknown man stood in the door way along with the two FBI agents staring at me.

“Is this who you saw in the hallway?” Dr. Reid asked. I nodded slowly. Dr. Reid took the paper from me, “I don’t think we’ll need your services after all…Rossi? I think we have our Unsub.” He said holding up my sketch up to the two other men in the room.

“Is this what he looked like?” Rossi asked me, sitting down across from me.  
I nodded tiredly, “Honestly I don’t know where that came from. I didn’t think I even got a good look at him.”

“You were under immense stress. The brain is very complicated, even though you don’t think you are paying attention it is still collecting data that you may not be aware of.” Reid said looking over Rossi’s shoulder at my sketch.  
Rossi looked back at Reid, “Tell everyone we’re ready to make a statement.” Reid nodded and walked away silently. I sat there in silence confused, twisting my necklace between my fingers.

“Thank you Miss. Greene. You have been incredibly helpful. Officer Ricci will escort you back to your hotel.”

I was losing my mind sitting in my hotel room all day long. I couldn’t stand staring at the same four walls for hours on end. I needed to get out of here; I needed to get my mind off of Natalie’s lifeless eyes staring back at me.  
“Officer Ricci? I need to get out of here. I’m heading to a coffee shop.” I said walking out of the door past the officer’s car.

“Miss. Greene I’m not sure that is a good idea.” The slim women said as she stepped out of her car towards me.

“I don’t think some psycho will kill me in the middle of the day in a coffee shop.” I huffed.

“You’d be surprised.” I heard her mumble.

“Look if I am not back here in two hours then send the FBI to come after me. I’ll be at Kruzburgs on 5th.” I said as I continued walking.

Getting back into the hustle of San Francisco’s streets made me feel almost normal again, I caught the street car by seconds and bustled to the back. I stared at the few people around me. I began to question them in my mind. They all looked so calm; did they know a killer was out there in the city somewhere? 

I took a deep breath. This wasn’t the reason I left my hotel room. I wanted to get my mind off of all this. I got off at my stop and walked the few shops down to my destination. The coffee shop wasn’t all that crowded today. Just a few college students, like me sitting at the different mismatched couches and tables, book shelves lined almost every available wall. Those that weren’t full of books were filled with paintings or notes left by patrons with the available type writer against one of the walls.

I walked to the counter, noticing my good friend was working. “Hey Erin!” I exclaimed at the curvy brunette staring back at me.

“Hey Izzy long time no see! I was beginning to think I lost my best friend to Starbucks!” 

“Yeah right! You know I go out of my way to come to my favorite coffee shop…I’ve just had a rough few days.”

“What’s wrong hunny?” She asked, worry furrowing her brow.  
“Umm there was a murder in my building. Do you remember Natalie?”

“Oh God yes! That girl had more men coming out of her place then BART.” She said rolling her eyes.

Tears welled in my eyes as I thought back on the way Erin and I used to crack jokes about my deceased next door neighbor. “She..uh..She was killed the other night. I found her.” I whispered.

Erin’s heart shaped face paled as she set the cup back on the counter staring at me with wide brown eyes, “Oh my God Izzy…I am so sorry! Hold on let me take my break.”

A few moments later Erin and I were sitting in the secluded little room that was in the far corner of the shop, giving us a perfect view of the street. We sat on the beat up couch and I stared out at the people passing the café. I held my dark chocolate mocha in my hands as I tried gathering my thoughts before speaking.

“I can’t really go into the details. It’s an open investigation with the FBI. I walked in on him killing her.” I whispered, tears falling down my face. “Of all the horrible things I said about her, I never wanted anything to happen to her!” I whispered.

Erin handed me a napkin and put her arms around my shoulder. “I can’t believe it! Where are you staying? Your apartment?” 

I shook my head no, “I’m staying in a hotel. I even get my own police detail.” I said with fake cheer.

“Are…are you in any danger?”

I licked my lips, “I don’t know.” I whispered. “They won’t let me go back to my apartment. They say it’s a crime scene. I don’t really know what is going on. They say I’m not in any danger, but it doesn’t feel that way the way the police are acting. Hell they even have FBI agents talking to me. How the hell am I supposed to feel? I just feel so bad. I didn’t like her, but I never wanted her to get hurt!” Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked everywhere but at my friend.

“Sweetheart it’s not your fault!”

“But if I woke up sooner I could have helped her!” I yelled.

“If you woke up sooner you could be dead too.” Erin deadpanned.

My mind blanked at that thought. I hadn’t thought that I could have been hurt, I just thought that I could have helped Natalie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear what you guys think. I originally posted this on Mibba, but didn't get much feedback. I would love to know if I should continue this or not!


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